AGREEMENTS AT THE HOMESTEAD

New immigrants from many countries worked the soil of their new homestead during the long days of summer and neighbours helped them learn the new language as they worked together. Agreements were unwritten and completed with a hand shake. What is now called “water-cooler” talk at the post office spread the news around when they picked up the mail. Banks were unwilling to loan money to farmers who lived in hail belts or dry land farms. My father heard someone in a nearby neighbourhood was hoping to borrow a rod weeder. Rental equipment places were not available at that time so the people in community borrowed equipment from each other. One time my father loaned his weeder to someone about 20 miles away. Telephones and texting were not available in those early days so later when he needed it back he hitched up his team to look for it. The borrower had found some temporary work on another farm. The implement was intact but imbedded in the tall grass due to good rains that summer. The borrower’s wife apologized but without a telephone it was difficult to get a message through except by letter. My Dad and brother were able to dig it out without harming it.

Immigrants from Europe often knew a number of languages and those who knew most languages often got the much preferred job as grain buyer with the Pool Elevator Co. A new neighbour had an item several of the men needed to fix something at the school. The man was glad to help and as they left my Dad said “Thanks.” This was the word used to thank the person for being willing to loan it. As they mounted their wagon to leave the man decided a little clarification was in order, and said, “None of this ‘Tank you’ stuff, it’s gotta come back.” My father loved to tell this story. By trusting each other and returning a borrowed item as quickly as possible they did not accrue bank interest that could be compounded on an item that may have been required only once and returned intact to the owner. Each person valued his reputation because anything negative would be reported by voice mail around the post office at the Orion Water Cooler Gazette. When my father was summoned to a lawyer's office in Medicine Hat he made the 65 mile trip. His father-in law had passed away and my father had to be there for the reading of the will. Lawyer's fees and all other expenses were paid and the rest, residue and remainder my grandfather willed to his daughter Elsa (my father's wife and my future mother) who had worked their farm and cared for her parents during their declining years. Returning home, my father withdrew a large envelope from his pocket saying it represented the accounts receivable from all the crops my grandfather had harvested for the entire neighbourhood. When others were unable to get credit from the bank to buy a harvester machine, my grandfather completed his own work and then did the harvesting for others in the neighbourhood and received a promise note for future payment. My father could have left them with the lawyer to hire a collector but my father declined. He walked over to their old iron stove after returning home, lifted the lid and watched the flames consume their legacy of thousands of dollars worth of accounts receivable. "Our neighbours would hate us and regard us as pariahs." my father told his bride. They made a good bonfire.